An hour before sunrise we set out, and before long our thin leather boots were soaked through with the morning dew that covered the grassy path leading from Aslyn. Since the theft of my horse—my father’s, an irreplaceable steed—I had grown wary and didn’t want to attract undue attention by requesting the town’s gates to be opened early for our departure. So we left through the meadow on the other side of town, and by noon we had managed to circle around Aslyn, and were heading due north toward Tasnin.
Lith was one of that rare breed of people who seemed to know when it was wise to speak and when to be silent. When we camped for a meager lunch, she chatted happily, but as we gathered wood for our evening fire, she remained subdued, lost in her thoughts. Before we turned in for the night, w
